Photo Charters
Filmed during Martin Creese's / 30742 Photo Charters recent excellent charter we see North Eastern Railway 1903 vintage railcar No. 3170 on the Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway on 16th February 2022. Originally Petrol-Electric, this 1903 vintage railcar was one of originally two that were first powered by Napier engines, then Wolseley but today is powered by a new Cummins diesel engine, so is technically a 'diesel' railcar. A wonderful survivor, it was used as a holiday home near Kirbymoorside in North Yorkshire for 70 years before being purchased in 2003 for restoration. A wonderful survivor and hopefully Martin Creese will do more 'modern' traction charters, despite this railcar pre-dating most preserved steam locomotives! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XEfKkkcw8M
GWR 49xx 'Hall' 4-6-0 4953 Pitchford Hall is seen in action during a Martin Creese / 30742 Photo Charter on the Epping & Ongar Railway on 30th December 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnBRfsROkm8
Filmed during a Martin Creese / 30742 Photo Charter, we see LBSCR Class A1X 'Terrier' 0-6-0T 32678 Knowle recreating a 1950s / 1960s local working with two SR Maunsell coaches on the Kent & East Sussex Railway on 22nd February 2019, shortly before she is withdrawn for her 10 year overhaul.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiNbGLIruRI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiNbGLIruRI
To celebrate the 90th anniversary of Ketton Cement Works in Rutland, steam returned to the site for a private open weekend, and a photo charter was organised using Bagnall 0-4-0ST (2648 of 1940) 'Ketton Portland Cement No. 3' with three original cement wagons from 1929. Built in 1940, 'Ketton Portland Cement No. 3' was the first of a batch of 9 supplied to the Ministry of Supply for use at Royal Ordnance Factories and is normally resident on the Chasewater Railway. Sharing the site with the Branch Line Society, various Industrial cameos were recreated using this delightful Bagnall 0-4-0ST as she shunted her cement wagons around the site. It really doesn't get more historically accurate than this! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvKv4l0wdwk
Rekindling memories of steam age goods in the North West in the 1960s, and one of the best photo charters Ive been on for a while, we see BR Standard 4MT 4-6-0 75078 hard at work on the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway with a mixed goods on 26th February 2018. Thank you to Martin Creese / 30742 Photo Charters for organising this amazing charter! If you enjoy this video then please do support and subscribe to the Classic Traction Youtube channel! Thanks! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FU2RF3fKKmU
Filmed during a Martin Creese / 30742 Photo Charter, we see Vale of Rheidol / GWR 2-6-2T No. 8 Llywelyn at work on the Vale of Rheidol Railway between Aberwystwyth and Devil's Bridge on 10th November 2017. Locations depicted include Llanbadarn, Rheidol Trestle Bridge, Rhiw Lascrug, Capel Bangor Station, Troidrhiwfelen, Faen Grach and the approach to Devil's Bridge. Many thanks to Martin, the father & son crew of 'Llywelyn,' Batty the guard and Will Smith for identifying the locations! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9bmHLuTZT0
Filmed during a special photo charter on 30th May 2017, GWR 55xx 2-6-2T Prairie 5542 is seen with GWR auto trailers No. 233 & W228 at locations including Kilbury, Woodville and Ashburton Junction, so perfectly recreating a Great Western branch line during the late 1940s and early 1950s during the early years of Nationalisation during the GWR / BR (WR) transition when GWR & BR Maroon auto trailers with GWR branded Prairies would have been quite common.
Filmed during a 30742 Photo Charter courtesy of Martin Creese, we visit the Penrhyn Quarry Railway at Felin Fawr, Bethesda in North Wales where we see three traditional slate engines, Avonside (Bristol) 0-4-0T Marchlyn, Hunslet 'Quarry' class 0-4-0ST Winifred and Kerr Stuart 0-4-2ST Stanhope as they re-enact a variety of slate duties between Felin Fawr and St Anns Halt. A wonderful historic and iconic narrow gauge railway, well worth a look if you haven't already been! Thank you Martin for organising this wonderful charter! www.youtube.com/watch?v=jT1mzBUtZpE
Steam returns to the Wanlockhead branch! Making a return for steam for the first time in 9 years, Bagnall 0-4-0ST Woto visited the narrow gauge Leadhills & Wanlockhead Railway in South Lanarkshire. Opened in 1901, the line was originally a standard gauge branch built by the Caledonian, diverging from the West Coast Main Line at Elvanfoot and ran to Wanlockhead. Today a small section is restored as a 2"0' narrow gauge line running to Hillend Summit, which at 1498 feet is Britain's highest adhesion worked railway. On 30th July 2016, Martin Creese organised a photo charter with Woto and some tippler wagons - could this be the first steam hauled freight on the line since it was closed by the LMS in 1938? It is also the highest steam hauled freight in the British Isles! Enjoy! www.youtube.com/watch?v=S11lc1JXjEg
Threlkeld Quarry in Cumbria is one of the UK's most iconic former industrial landscapes, and during a series of photo charters organised by Martin Creese of 30742 Charters, we see five narrow gauge steam locomotives at work in this former granite quarry. In this first installment, we see steam climbing from Threlkeld to the Inner Quarry and included are Kerr Stuart 0-4-0T Diana and Joffre Class No. 3014, Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0T Alpha and 0-6-0WT GP39 Bronllwyd, as well as resident Bagnall 0-4-0ST Sir Tom. A DVD illustrating these wonderful charters at this quarry will be released in the early autumn - available soon from the Classic Traction website. www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CdMeSx7Z60
Part 2 of the Threlkeld Quarry shunt in Cumbria organised by Martin Creese of 30742 Photo Charters. Filmed at one of the most iconic industrial landscapes in the UK, we see narrow gauge steam shunting at this former granite quarry. Included is Kerr Stuart Joffre Class 0-6-0T 3014, former Kerry Tramway 0-4-0T Diana, Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0WT GP39 Bronllwyd, Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0T Alpha and Bagnall 0-4-0ST Sir Tom during a series of photo charters in this quarry setting. Watch for five steam locos whistle in unison at the end!! www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9nY_nh8iiY
South Africa or the Welsh Highlands? Recreating a classic South African style narrow gauge freight, WHR NG/G16
2-6-2+2-6-2T Beyer-Garratts Nos. 87 + 138 head a freight during a photo charter on the Welsh Highland at Rhyd Ddu reverse curves and Pont Creosor Junction in November 2013 and clearly illustrates the sheer power of the mighty NG/G16 Garratts, which is why the NGG16s earned themselves the nicknames of 'Tiny Titans.' www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjZjlxCiiqo
2-6-2+2-6-2T Beyer-Garratts Nos. 87 + 138 head a freight during a photo charter on the Welsh Highland at Rhyd Ddu reverse curves and Pont Creosor Junction in November 2013 and clearly illustrates the sheer power of the mighty NG/G16 Garratts, which is why the NGG16s earned themselves the nicknames of 'Tiny Titans.' www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjZjlxCiiqo
LNER A4 4-6-2 Pacific 4464 Bittern with a beautifully restored rake of LNER / Great Northern Railway teak coaches storms Eardington Bank during a 30742 Photo Charter organised by Martin Creese on 27th March 2012. Hard to believe this was almost 5 years ago! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trKvi6MiEg4
LNER A4 4-6-2 Pacific 4464 Bittern is seen hauling a beautifully restored rake of LNER / Great Northern Railway teaks on the Severn Valley Railway on 27th March 2012. This was filmed on day 2 of a two day photo charter organised by Martin Creese for 30742 Photo Charters and was believed to be the first time a LNER Garter Blue A4 had been paired with a complete rake of teaks in over 60 years. Certainly one of my personal favourite charters to date! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Vp3s2LFn9k
This was believed to be the first occasion since Nationalisation that a LNER A4 Pacific in Garter Blue livery hauled a complete rake of LNER teaks, and we see 4464 Bittern at work on the Severn Valley Railway during a 30742 Photo Charter organised by Martin Creese on 26th March 2012. Certainly one of my all-time favourite photo charters that I have been on to date! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kioyg12VtHw
One from the Classic Traction archives! Filmed during a Steam Recreations / Don Bishop Photo Charter on 16th March 2007, holiday trains in the west are rekindled as BR (WR) 41xx 2-6-2T Large Prairie 4160 pilots GWR 50xx 'Castle' 4-6-0 5051 Earl Bathurst on the West Somerset Railway at a variety of locations including Watersmeet, Eastcombe Bank, Churchlands, Nethercott and Woolston. The wonderful BR Maroon rake of Mk 1s was on loan from the SRPS, which the WSR had hired in especially for the 'Summer Saturdays in the West' Spring Gala event. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYW7bAqury4
Ex Cardiff Railway / GWR 0-4-0ST 1338 is seen on the Bristol Harbour District goods lines are seen during a photo charter on 8th July 2000, at such locations as Ashton, Ashton Swing Bridge and Canon's Marsh Goods Junction. I understand that railway lines at Canon's Marsh Goods Jct and Ashton are now sadly but a memory. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2FUgKg9AV0